Jack Reacher: Never Go Back 4K UHD Blu-ray Movie Review

Jack Reacher returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. When Army Major Susan Turner, who heads Reacher’s old investigative unit, is arrested for Treason, Reacher will stop at nothing to prove her innocence and to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy involving soldiers who are being killed.

I had high hopes for this sequel, but honestly, Jack should not have gone back. Where the original movie focused on a mysterious mass shooting and a subsequent investigation into that mystery, this movie uses the tired trope of a government conspiracy about drug smuggling. In the original, Reacher kicks the mud out of a group of guys, much to our delight. This movie opens with him drinking coffee AFTER he kicks the mud out of a new group of guys. Where’s the action? There are still plenty of fists and explosions in this film, but it is more paint by numbers.

The baddie is almost as good a fighter as Reacher but the outcome is never really in question. Add a female side-kick and a “daughter” he never knew he had, add water and stir, and out pours this movie. The film is certainly tolerable to watch, but I was disappointed that the intellectual crime solving portion was toned down to make this average action flick. The finale takes place in the Big Easy during Mardi Gras. Why? Because the first half was shot in boring Washington D.C. and who doesn’t love a parade. At least when James Bond goes to an exotic location, it advances the storyline in a logical way. Though he should never go back, the door is open for yet another sequel.

The picture quality on both the BD and UHD are comparatively the same, with the UHD version providing a bit better contrast. Even the HDR doesn’t make the picture pop that much, but that could also be due to the fact that many of the scenes take place at night or in dimly lit rooms. That isn’t to say the picture is bad at all. Details are sharp and well defined. The colors are mostly solid and accurate with natural skin tones. There are not a lot of bold primary colors used to show off the WCG, though. Shadow details are well seen. The sound is quite lively and the sub woofer will find plenty to do during the action sequences.

Besides the UHD, BD and Ultraviolet versions, the extras include: Reacher Returns; An Unexpected Family; Relentless: On Location in Louisiana; Take Your Revenge First: Lethal Combat; No Quarter Given: Rooftop Battle; and Reacher in Focus: With Tom Cruise and Photographer David James. This makes over 80 minutes of extra viewing!